The football atmosphere in the country is electric as, for the first time in nearly six years, the Harambee Stars will play in front of a full house at Nyayo Stadium. They will host Gabon in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match this Sunday at 4 PM.
This occasion marks a significant turning point, following recent developments such as the election of a new Football Kenya Federation (FKF) leadership, the appointment of Benni McCarthy as the Harambee Stars head coach— which has been positively received—and a commendable performance in their previous match against The Gambia, despite ending in a draw.
These events have elevated the hopes of football enthusiasts, as evidenced by the sold-out tickets for the match. This will be the first competitive home match for the Harambee Stars in four years. The last time they played in front of a packed crowd was in October 2018 during a 2019 AFCON qualifier against Ethiopia at Moi Kasarani Stadium, where Kenya won 3-0.
The last competitive home game took place in 2021, a World Cup qualifier against Rwanda at Nyayo Stadium, as the team has had to play its competitive matches abroad due to a lack of a CAF-certified stadium.
On Saturday afternoon, FKF announced that all of the over 22,000 tickets available for purchase had been sold, generating significant revenue from ticket sales.
Ticket prices were categorized into three tiers: Very Important Persons (VVIP) tickets sold for Ksh 10,000, with 100 tickets available; Very Important Persons (VIP) tickets, priced at Ksh 1,000, totaled 1,800; and regular tickets, which numbered 21,000, were sold for Ksh 300 each.
In total, FKF generated Ksh 9.1 million from the sale of 22,900 tickets, resulting in nearly full capacity at Nyayo Stadium.
The Stars are set to enjoy an electrifying atmosphere as they aim to deliver a victory against Gabon, who are competing for the top spot in Group F to qualify for next year’s World Cup, which will be hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
Currently, Harambee Stars sit fourth in Group F with six points, and only the group winner will secure an automatic ticket to the global tournament.
